Absorbent comb.



F. w. MALEY.

ABSORBENT 00MB.

v v APPLlcAnoN msu JUNE-3. 1913.

1,147,681 Patented July 20, 1915.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1913.

Patented July 20, 1915.

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ABSORBENT 00MB.

Specification of Letters Patent.v Patented J 20, 1915.

Application led June 3, 1913. Serial No. 771,460.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED W. MALEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bakersfield, in the county of Kern and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Absorbent Combs, of.

which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to absorbent combs for use in cleaning and drying the hair, and has for its primary object to provide an improved device of this character consisting essentially in a suitable frame for mounting absorbent material in such position as to engage the 'hair ofy the user between the opposing surfaces of such material to absorb the moisture and surplus oil in the hair.

A further object is to provide the absorbent material in such a .form that the oppositely disposed portions thereof will form miniature combs which are adapted to operate upon each of the hairs individually for scraping olf the dandruf, and small partcles of lint and other foreign matter. In the exemplication shown in the drawing, this purpose is carried out with plush having blank spaces formed in the web for receiving the foreign matter referred to.

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and be carefully pointed out in the appended claims. y

In the drawing, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved absorbent comb. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view approximately upon the line 3-3 of Fig. Q. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view approximately upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the frame and handle, the teeth being removed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the plush stretching members showing the ribs. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the locking cap for the frame.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates the frame, or back of the comb which is preferably of a substantially rectangular formation, and which has connected therewith a rearward, longitudinally extending handle 2. The upper and rear portion of the frame, at its juncture with the handle 2, is formed upon each of its sides with a lip 3, the longitudinal edges of which are in a plane with the longitudinal sides of the frame. The sides of the frame are spaced a suitable distance away from each other,;and each-of the said sidesl has its inner face provided with a plurality of recesses4, thus forming the projecting portions 4, the recesses upon one of the sides of the `frame being disposed diametrically opposite the recesses upon the other side of the frame. -The recesses have their inner walls straight, while the side walls provided by the said recesses preferably convergeinwardly from the top toward thebottom of the frame, and the lower portion of the frame is provided with a plurality of bars which connect the opposite sides of the said frame, and4 which have their longitudinal edges arranged in a plane with the lower walls yprovided by. therecesses.` l

The numeral 7' designates the plush stretching members or plates. Each of these members is constructed I from rubber. or gutta-percha and vhas its side edges provided with ribs 8. The ribs are of a greater' thickness than .the thickness of the plates and extend transversely on each side of the plate and extend a suitable distance below the lower edge of the plate. The opposite side faces of each of the ribs` have their upper portions flared outwardly to provide sub` stantially wedge-shaped members which are adapted to frictionally engage with the side walls provided by the 'recesses 4 when the plates are arranged upon the comb.

The absorbent material employed with the comb, preferably comprises a strip of plush 9, the same being provided with longitudinally extending spaced blank spaces which are formed in the web of the strip. The strip or slightly less than the width of the stretching members or plates between the inner edges of the ribs 8.

The plush is applied by arranging the same over the top of the frame between its connecting rods, and the plate or stretching member is brought into engagement with the plush and passed through the registering depressions adjacent the-outer end of the frame. The remaining plates or stretcher members in a like manner are passed through the succeeding depressions to vfoldthe plush so that the same is arranged over the connecting bars, and between the opposite faces of the plates or stretcher members.

As thus-described, it will be'noted that the is of a width approximately equaling plush is arranged directly behind the ribs, and that the faces of the strips of plush between the spaces provided by the web thereof are disposed directly opposite each other, and provide miniature combs which are adapted to operate upon each of the hairs individually to remove surplus oil and foreign matters therefrom as well as to effectually dry the hair. The action of the plush is facilitated by the ribs 8, which open furrows or paths through the hair to divide the hair into finer bodies to be acted upon by the plush.

ln order to sustain the plates and ribs in proper position upon the frame, as Well as for retaining the free ends of the plush strip, l have provided the frame with a removable cap or closure 9. The cap is provided with opposite longitudinal flanges and with a connecting end flange. The longitudinal flanges are spaced to snugly engage with the outer faces of the sides of the frame, while the end flange is provided with inturned cleats l0 which also connect with the lower edges of the side flanges. Centrally connected with the inner face of the end flange and having its opposite ends arranged beneath the cleats is a spring plate 11. rlhe transverse end of the cap opposite to that provided with the flange is formed, adjacent the side flanges with inturned catch members l2, which are adapted to engage with the lips 3 of the frame, when the cap is positioned upon the frame. The spring l1 comprises a curved member, and it will be noted that when the cap is slid over the frame the ends of the spring are compressed to permit of the catch members l2 passing the lips 3, and also arranging the plates l0 below the under face of the frame. When a pressure upon the plate is released the catch members l2 will, through the medium of the spring ll, be automatically brought into engagement with the lips 3, and the cleats 10 are of suflicient length to retain their engagement with the frame after the spring has been expanded.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity, as well as the advantages of the device, and the operation of the same, will, it is thought be apparent to those skilled in the art to which such devices appertain. It will be noted that the absorbent strip is comparatively wide so that a great number of hairs will be engaged thereby before both of the teeth of each of the plates pass through the hair, and also that owing to the peculiar construction of the plates and ribs, the absorbent material will, through the medium of the teeth, be sustained against lateral displacement, while the said plates effectively serve as stretching and binding elements for retaining the plush in a taut condition, and immediately to the rear of the ribs.

Having thus described the invention, what claim is l. ln an absorbent comb, a frame provided with a plurality of removable plates arranged in said frame, said plates having their opposite edges provided with ribs and said plates being adapted to engage with and stretch an absorbent material to cause the same to lie flatly against the opposite fakces of the plates and directly behind the r1 s.

2. In an absorbent comb, a frame having side members, said members provided with spaced recesses upon their inner faces, plates having their edges formed with ribs arranged within the recesses and extending beyond the frame, the said plates adapted to stretch an absorbent material to retain the same back of the ribs and against the opposite faces of the plates.

3. ln an absorbent comb, a frame having side members, said members provided with substantially V-shaped recesses upon their inner faces, plates having their opposite edges formed with ribs which extend beyond the lower edge of each of the plates, the opposite faces of the ribs at their upper ends being wedge shaped to engage within the V-shaped recesses of the frame, the said plates being adapted to engage with and stretch an absorbent material to retain the same back of the ribs and against the opposite faces of the plates.

il. In an absorbent comb, a frame having relatively spaced side members provided with recesses disposed diametrically opposite each other, the lower portion of said frame being provided with a plurality of relatively spaced bars, said bars being arranged in the same plane as the projecting portions of the side of the frame and stretching plates arranged within the recesses adapted to stretch an absorbent material and retain the same against the opposite faces of the plates.

5. ln an absorbent comb, a frame provided with a series of recesses adapted to receive plush stretching plates, said plates being arranged in said recesses and extending beyond the frame, the said plates adapted to stretch an absorbent material between its ends, the free ends of said absorbent material being held in position by a cap which is adapted to engage the free ends of the absorbent material and to hold said stretching plates in applied position.

6. ln an absorbent comb, a frame provided with a series of recesses adapted to receive plush stretching plates, plush stretching plates arranged in said recesses and extending beyond the frame, each of the said plates adapted to stretch an absorbent materal 'between its ends, a yremovable oap In testimony whereof I affix my signature adapted to be placed over the top of the in presence of tWo Witnesses.

frame and down the sides of the frame to v hold said plates in applied position, to en- FRED W 5 gage the free ends of said absorbent mate- Witnesses:

rial to hold them in a taut position, and to. N. GRENVILLE,

provide a cover for the frame. GEO. B. PARKER.

` Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

